When the rear wheel of a conventional bicycle is removed (e.g., in order to change a tube or the tire itself), the drive chain must be removed from the drive sprocket. Typically the chain is dirty and greasy. Thus, one must ordinarily handle the chain both when removing the rear wheel and then again when installing the rear wheel on the bicycle after it has been repaired.
Aside from the fact that the chain may be dirty and greasy, the task of removing and replacing the rear wheel requires one to properly position the chain so that it properly engages the drive sprocket when the rear wheel is replaced. Also, when the rear wheel is removed from the bicycle, the chain may fall to the ground or become entangled. This is very undesirable. In general the handling of the chain when removing or installing the rear wheel is rather cumbersome and difficult.
This problem was addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,251 where there is described a bracket device which conforms to the periphery of the chain sprocket. The device includes an edge or flange which is perpendicular to the axle. By manipulation of the device, the chain is said to be supported by the device when the rear wheel is removed from the bicycle. The intended use of the bracket requires that it be properly manipulated to first engage the chain and then to disengage the chain when the rear wheel is installed on the bicycle again. It is very doubtful that such bracket device would be effective in engaging the chain and removing it from the sprocket because engagement of the chain on the rear side of the sprocket (centrally of the engagement arc) as the wheel is dropped will cause the chain to engage the sides of the sprocket very tightly. This binding would prevent the removal of the rear sprocket from the frame. It would be possible to remove the rear sprocket and then manually lift the chain off the sprocket and hang it on the bracket device, but that would be very cumbersome.
Another type of device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,767, where the device is referred to as chain hanger comprising an elongated body having a driving head and a drill bit on opposite ends. The device is installed on the bicycle seat stay above the rear wheel sprocket. When it is desired to remove the rear wheel from the bicycle frame, the chain must be manually lifted upwardly and placed onto the device. Thus, it is necessary to handle the chain to lift it onto and off of the device when removing the rear wheel and then installing the wheel again. Also, the chain must be forced out of line laterally in order to force the chain around the end of the hanger.
Various chain holding and locking devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,165,377; 3,132,878; and 2,636,717. However, none of such patents describe or suggest devices or techniques which would be suitable for use on bicycles to support a drive chain.
There has not heretofore been provided a chain hanger device which is simple and effective for retaining and supporting a bicycle chain when removing the rear wheel of a bicycle.